In a story that has ominous shades of JonBenet Ramsey, the practice of mothers bringing their daughters as young as eight into salons to get their hair straightened has emerged.

Beach Comber Kids Cuts in Seattle is offering this type of chemical straightening, and we are not amused.

First, childhood is that blessed time when the last thing you should be concerned about is what kind of hair day you're having. Let the messy ponytails, frizz, tangles, and braids fly. Says pediatrician Dr. Cara Natterson, "If we tell our young daughters that they need to sit in a salon at this age, I feel sure we are undermining their self-esteem," according to Momlogic.com.

And let's not forget the chemicals! Hair straightening uses ingredients that grown women are very wary of. Some proponents of young girls' straightening claim that the formula is applied to the hair, not the scalp. But it's almost impossible to avoid the scalp completely, and as Dr. Natterson says, "there is almost certainly some absorption through the scalp."

Worth it? Heavens, no! The only things that should be applied to the scalp of an 8-year-old girl are a gentle shampoo, a helmet for riding her bike, and lots of parental kisses.